Questions & Answers

PATIENCE/ IMPATIENCE

QUESTION: How should we react at the time of impatience when situations cannot allow us to continue in this spiritual journey?

ANSWER: First of all, it is important to know that nothing can ever prevent you on your spiritual journey, unless you just decide to quit. Situations and circumstances may at times be very, very difficult, but they cannot overcome you or hold you back from advancing in God unless you permit them to do so.

During times of difficulty, we must persevere in our trust in God. Jesus said that in the world we will have tribulation, but we should rejoice and be of good cheer because He has overcome the world! And because He has overcome, we can overcome also!

QUESTION: Is there any moment when we can say patience is enough?

ANSWER: One man of God has said that “God is Eternally Patient, but He is not tolerant”. This statement is backed up all throughout the Scriptures. The Lord is an eternally patient, longsuffering God, yet He is not tolerant of evil or the works of darkness. And since we are to be imitators of God, we should be eternally patient, but never tolerant of the works of the flesh or the devil.

Patience is a very vital force to cultivate and exercise in our life at all times. Yet patience alone is not sufficient. The nine virtues of the Spirit (listed in Galatians 5.22-23) are to be working collectively and in unity within us at all times. Galatians 5.22-23 is a picture of what the nature of the Spirit looks like, and we are to continually yield to that re-created nature that the Spirit of God breathed into us when we were born-again.

QUESTION: Why is it when God promises someone that He will bless them, He does not give an exact time? This causes many to run out of patience and miss their blessing.

ANSWER: The Lord said that “the just shall live by faith.” If God told us when and how He would bless us, then there would be no need to walk by faith – we would not have to trust Him.

Hebrews 11.6 says that without faith, it is impossible to please God, because those who come to Him must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Faith is our spiritual oxygen. It is what gives us life. If we ever cease to live by faith, we begin to lose life.

So it is important to always trust the Lord and always reach for a higher place of faith as you continue living in Him.

QUESTION: Is there any deliverance or way out of self impatience?

ANSWER: Yes, by yielding to the nature of Jesus. One literal Greek meaning of Galatians 5.22 says – “the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, which produces joy, peace, patience (perseverance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” The more we yield to the Spirit of God in becoming conformed to His nature, the less we will have a tendency to become impatient. Yield to Love, who is God, and all other spiritual fruit will flow in you.

QUESTION: The bible says some sins are not for death: where can we classify the sin of impatience? And which are these sins that are not for death?

ANSWER: I John 5.16-17 says that all unrighteousness is sin. There is one sin that leads to death and it is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as stated in Matthew 12.31 – there is no forgiveness for that sin.

I John 5.16 says that if we see a brother sinning a sin not leading to death, we should ask of the Lord, and He will give life to those who commit such sins. Patience (or perseverance) is part of the nature of Jesus, what has come to be called the fruit or the produce of the Spirit. If we lack patience, then we are not allowing the nature of the Spirit of God to operate fully in us. We must yield to Him in the area of patience (perseverance) so that a lack of it not become our way of life.